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b) Miss Joyce Pearce expressed her concern that still so many reports were being circulated about refugees dying before asylum could be found. She asked what international machinery could be brought into action.
c) Mr. Heidler explained that the UNHCR's plan was to try and persuade nearby countries to give asylum to the refugees temporarily and that other countries should offer permanent settlement.
This required a) finance b) the readiness o. governments to accept on temporary or permanent basis. At the end of 1 76 there were some 2,469 waiting in Thailand and over 5,000 in all the ports. Some progress had been made in 1976 and some favourable response had been received from Governments. However more were coming out of Vietnam
all the time.
It would be a great help to the UNICR if his office could be informed by ships picking up refugees about ports of call etc, so that advance preparations could be made.
a) Acceptance by Countries
The Vietnamese boat people had so far been settled as follows
USA France
Canada
Norway
Germany (Federal Republic)
Netherlands
1,130
551
122
~
60
ور
Small numbers to Belgium, Hong Kong, Austria.
e) The boat people were being allowed to land in Thailand to get water, plant vegetables etc. On the whole, they arrived in a healthy condition but tended to deteriorate. Help was being given to them by the UNHCR in the same way as to those in camps.
even if staying only
f) There were attempts to make the refugees self supporting temporarily through farming and vegetable gardening scheme. There was some difficulty with the Heos who were not used to settled farming.
g) Many in the refugee camps would like to stay in Thailand to develop their horti- culture and farming schemes.
h) It was necessary for organisations working in Thailand to include the local Thais in their schemes as well as refugees. In fact the Thai Government had asked that this should be so.
There was further discussion about the possibility of British agencies helping on the education schemes.
It was suggested that if the voluntary organisations contributed the British Government might also do so.
Miss Pearce agreed to suggest to her Committee that a grant should be made for the educational needs and hoped it would be possible to work through the YMCA/YWCA scheme.
Other agencies would also consider the possibility of helping with these schemes.
Lady Alexandra Metcalfe reported that she had been invited by the Government of Laos to go to Vientiane and would be leaving on 6 February. She agreed to speak about her
& trip on her return.
The Chairman thanked Mr. Jam hoped he would keep the Committe
Thomson warmly for his st interesting talk and nformed of developments.
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